1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a stopper for a food-beverage container which contains a functional additive. More particularly, the present invention relates to a stopper for a food-beverage container which can contain various foods or beverages therein, in which a functional additive in the shape or powder or liquid is contained and stored inside the container stopper which closes an opening of the container. The container stopper is configured such that a user can mix the additive into food or water by applying a pressure to the container stopper in order to eat or drink the food or water together with the additive. Accordingly, the user can intake various types of foods or beverages, such as a meal substitution food, a health beverage, a baby food, a patient meal or a sport health beverage.
2. Description of Related Art
Various edible foods or beverages are contained in containers. Such a container contains typically includes a container body which has defined therein an accommodation space for contents produced by mixing several ingredients and a stopper which closes the opening of the container body in an sealing or airtight fashion.
Recently, at a point in time where functional beverages appear and are used by consumers, the necessity for a container structure with which different contents can be mixed is on the rise.
Although most beverages are distributed as a mixture, some vitamins such as vitamin C are not only destroyed at a relatively high speed but also the contents thereof are reduced by heat or ultraviolet (UV) radiation or through combination with moisture or water. Therefore, it is preferable to add sensitive vitamins to beverages directly before the beverages are consumed. For the same reason, transparent, semitransparent or moisture permeable containers are not suitable for long-term storage of vitamin beverages.
Accordingly, beverage containers that can be simply handled have been developed. In addition, these containers allow consumers to add sensitive yet active additives by the user just before they consume beverages.
According to the structure of a related-art stopper for a container proposed for such necessity, when the stopper or lid which closes the container in a sealing or airtight fashion is opened, a partition member or an inner stopper that partitions different contents from each other is introduced into the accommodation space inside the container body.
However, the partition member present together with contents within the accommodation space may obstruct the contents from being taken out. In addition, when the contents are colloidal solutions, the partition member may not sink to the bottom, thereby blocking the path through which the contents flow. Furthermore, this structure also has the possibility that the partition member that is introduced into the accommodation space may enter the mouth of users together with the beverage.
Regardless of such problems, a structure with which users can mix a separate additive to basic contents (beverage) themselves was disclosed in Korean Patent No. 10-0840387, titled “CONTAINER STOPPER.” As defined the claims of this document, this container stopper includes: a main body disposed at an opening of a container; a plug movably disposed in the opening of the container, the plug having defined therein an inner space in which contents to be injected into the container is contained; a sealing member sealing the inner space of the plug; and at least one cutting part connected to the main body, the cutting part cutting the sealing member in response to the plug being moved. The plug includes a support part connected to the main body and a movable part which is to be opened in the direction such that the inner space faces toward the cutting part. The movable part is connected to the support part such that the movable part can be separated and moved from the support part in response to external force being applied thereto. The sealing member closes the portion of the inner space that is to be opened toward the cutting part.
In the related-art stopper structure configured as above, the additive is mixed into the contents as follows: First, the stopper is removed from the plug, and then a downward pressure is applied to the movable part which is exposed to the outside. Consequently, the upper end of the stopper body cuts and divides the support section in response to the downward pressure, and the plug moves downwards along a plug-fitting part which is fitted into the opening of the container. The central bottom portion of the plug is torn and opened by being pricked by the cutting part, and subsequently the additive flows into the accommodation space of the container.
However, the related-art container stopper has a complicated structure in order to fix the plug at the protruding position. For this, the support section is shaped as a skirt, and a tubular part extends from the upper end of the main body to hold the skirt. More particularly, since the sealing member is torn by the separate cutting part, a large number of parts is required and the structure is complicated, thereby making the assembly process difficult and increasing the fabrication process and cost.
In addition, in the related-art container stopper, the configuration of tearing the sealing member using the separate cutting part not only increases the cost but also makes the input of the additive difficult, thereby decreasing user convenience.
More specifically, health food containers distributed in the market are configured such that a functional solution is contained within the container and a pill-shaped additive is accommodated inside a separate compartment provided in the opening of the container. In this case, a plurality of holes is formed in the bottom of the separate compartment in which the additive is contained such that the functional solution contained within the container can flow out through the holes. With this structure, the functional solution inside the container communicates with the compartment in which the pill-shaped additive is contained. Consequently, although the opening of the container is closed with the stopper, moisture or liquid may contact the pill-shaped additive while being stored and distributed, thereby transforming the additive.
In addition, according to the related-art containers for health foods, the pill-shaped additive contained inside the container opening or the container is stored separately from the functional solution. When such a container stays in a fallen posture for a long time, the functional solution contained within the container may move toward the opening of the container due to, for example, an osmotic pressure, thereby causing oxidation, which is problematic.
The information disclosed in the Background of the Invention section is provided only for better understanding of the background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgment or any form of suggestion that this information forms a prior art that would already be known to a person skilled in the art.